rolling stones front man, mick jagger. an apparent joke that no one's laughing at right now. good morning, everybody. happy friday. we do begin today with breaking news. word of deepening u.s. military involvement in the face of fears that the bloody syria will spill over that country's borders. >> reports this morning say defense secretary, leon panetta has signed the order to send 2 patriot missile batteries, as well as 400 american troops, to turkey. they're being deployed to help protect turkey against a possible missile attack or chemical weapons from syria. and the moves comes as international support for syria's ruthless dictator is fading. the head of nato says the collapse of bashar al assad's regime is just a matter of time.

and there are conflicting reports that his most powerful ally, russia, may be preparing for his defeat. rebels are gaining ground outside the capital and have defied every effort to defeat them. there's some confusion over where former south african president nelson mandela is being treated. government officials there say they are protecting his privacy not confirming which hospital is treating him. >> the 94-year-old anti-apartheid icon was admitted on saturday for what has since been diagnosed as a lung infection. in other news right now, president obama will have to go to plan "b," to find a new secretary of state. >> in a surprise move, u.n. ambassador susan rice withdrew her name from consideration, saying the country would not benefit from a bitter, costly confirmation process. >> several republicans made it clear they did not want rice to be the nation's top diplomat. and abc's tahman bradley joins us, now live, from washington

with more on this surprise move. hi, tahman. >> reporter: hello. good morning to you, rob and paula. the president's announcement of his new national security team could come any day now. and with susan rice out of the running, we're getting a clearer picture of the top contenders. president obama's new national security team is taking shape. first, secretary of state. u.n. ambassador, susan rice, who has been at the center of controversy over the obama administration's handling of the attack on the u.s. consulate in libya, pulled her name out of contention. telling nbc, she doesn't want to be a distraction. >> i didn't want to see a confirmation process that was very prolonged, very politicized, very distracting and very disruptive. >> reporter: with rice no longer in the running, senator john kerry of massachusetts seems the president's likely pick. >> i have no comments on the process. >> reporter: next, secretary of defense. senator kerry's name was floated for the job. but senator chuck hagel, a vietnam veteran and a republican, who became a critic

of the iraq war, seems to have the edge. there's also the top job at the cia. the acting director, michael morrell, and white house counterterrorism adviser john brennan are considered top contenders. as the dominos fall, there's an interesting political angle. if senator kerry is tapped for a cabinet post, outgoing massachusetts senator, scott brown, is widely expected to run in the special election to fill kerry's seat. >> victory and defeat is temporary. we may, obviously, meet again. >> reporter: brown came to power in a 2010 special election to fill senator ted kennedy's old seat, but lost re-election in november to elizabeth warren. many said senator kerry was breeze through nomination as secretary of state. but he may face tough questions about his past support of syrian president bashar al assad. rob and paula? >> abc's tahman bradley live in washington. thanks, tahman. and the administration's asia team is reported to have been so surprised by north korea's rocket launch this week,

several of them were at a holiday party when it happened. a blog on the foreign policy website reports they were joking it was nice of the north koreans to delay the launch so the party wouldn't be interrupted. the state department, however, denies that they were caught off guard. the governors of new york, new jersey and connecticut, are urging congress to approve a $60 billion aid package for victims of superstorm sandy before they break for the holidays. nearly seven weeks, now, after the storm, many flooded-out residents are waiting for funds to repair their homes. more than 100 ceos are also calling on lawmakers to act quickly. but republicans say the bill is loaded with many things that simply have nothing to do with the storm. well, 18 days, now, and counting. and there are more signs of slow progress being made to avoid that fiscal cliff. president obama and house speaker john boehner met at the white house for less than an hour yesterday. both sides said they had a, quote, frank discussion. and the lines of communication remain open.

americans will be hit with automatic tax hikes and budget cuts unless a deal is reached by january 1st. and state governments must decide by today if they will run their own insurance exchanges under the new health care law. those exchanges will serve millions of uninsured americans in under a year, 2014. 19 states have decided to establish insurance. 17 states, as well as the district of columbia, have said they will enroll in the federal program. eight states want a partnership with the fed. six states have made no decision and have until today to do so. a shopping mall that became the scene of a deadly shooting spree is set to reopen in oregon this morning. two people were killed when 22-year-old jacob roberts opened fire in the food court of the clackamas town center on tuesday. a 15-year-old girl was also seriously wounded. roberts, then, of course, took his own life. a candlelight vigil for the victims is set for tonight. and people across san diego

woke up to an unusual deluge. several inches of rain making a real mess out of the morning commute. >> the downpours flooded businesses, as well as major intersections, leaving drivers stranded in the road. some people even had to be rescued from those floodwaters. and just north of san diego, all that rain loosened a giant boulder. look at that thing. it tumbled down a hillside and punched a gaping hole through someone's garage. the huge rock crushed everything from christmas ornaments to tools. the homeowner was shaken up but thankful she wasn't in the garage when that boulder hit. >> they have falling rock insurance. time, now, for the weather from across the nation. showers from san diego up to seattle. heavy rain in las vegas, phoenix and albuquerque. more than a foot of mountain snow from arizona to southern utah. thunderstorms around wichita, oklahoma city and dallas. >> 70s in dallas, and new orleans. mostly 40s in the northeast, midwest and pacific northwest. well, coming up,

it is very good to be an intern at facebook. and we'll tell you why. you just gave it away. plus, holiday travel. new and encouraging estimates about how many of us are about to be on the move. and that horrific story from chicago. a man's fatal decision to get up on that smokestack. stay with us. [ female announcer ] now get high speed internet at home

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where they were last year. an average of $3.23 a gallon. people are also opening up their wallets at stores and online. retail sales rose in november. the increase looks slight, 0.3%. but taking out the big drop in gas prices, retail sales are up a solid 0.8%. there was strong demand for electronics and cars. people are doing a good job for paying for all those things when the credit card bill comes due. a new frost from transunion says the credit card delinquency rate, borrowers who are 90 days for more behind, should stay low next year, where it is now, less than 1%. america's biggest automaker is putting new attention on some of its biggest vehicles. general motors has released their new silverado and gmc pickup trucks. looking to crash in on the growing demand for full-size trucks. the rebound in housing and construction is helping fuel the

strength in truck sales. the iphone 5 finally went on sale today, in the world's biggest smartphone market, china. that country is hugely important to apple, which has seen its stock price slide lately. only the u.s., in fact, buys more apple products. and china accounted for almost $24 billion or about 15% of apple's revenues in the past year. and it's no secret that apple and other tech companies pay well. it turns out even their interns are scoring big bucks at facebook. >> business insider reports facebook pays interns more than $5,600 a month. and that ends up being about $67,000 a year, yep, for being an intern. that's about $25,000 more than the average u.s. worker makes. >> here's your application. and i printed one out for me. when we come back, the guests who got a lot more than they expected at one golden corral. and some sad faces this morning in philadelphia, after yet another disappointing performance by those eagles.

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the southern california mountains are buried under a fresh coat of snow this morning. and it's still coming down. tire chains were mandatory for drivers heading into mountain passes and resorts. even with the chains, they say the roads will -- were still treacherous. now, for a look at morning road conditions. slick at times from southern california to seattle. rain drenches roads from vegas, to albuquerque. wet highways from texas to kansas. >> if you're flying today, airport delays are possible in l.a., vegas, phoenix and dallas. tragic story, now. a young man trying to take a picture of the chicago skyline plunged 22 feet down a smokestack. he and his girlfriend had climbed to the roof of the

historic intercontinental hotel, more than 40 stories up. and when he went up a ladder to the top of that smokestack and lost his footing. >> he spoke to firefighters and talked to his girlfriend on his cell phone. but then, lost consciousness. >> the best way to get him out was go about two floors below. and we had to cut the ductwork for the chimney, which was made out of steel. we eventually ended up sliding the victim down into the hole. and removing him from the building. >> reporter: first responders worked four hours trying to free the man. but by the time they reached him, it was too late. he was declared dead at a hospital just a short time later. and a frightening attack in denver, where four people were set on fire. police say two men sprayed liquid on the victims after a woman opened her apartment door last night. the men then threw a match or lighter on them. one person was badly hurt. the others are being treated for minor burns. and a popular chain restaurant may be to blame for a virus outbreak, spreading

through casper, wyoming. health inspectors say about 200 customers became sick after eating at the golden corral buffet. public health experts believe the restaurant is contaminated with the norovirus. the restaurant is closing its doors for 24 hours to be cleans and disinfected. the nurse that killed herself after fielding the prank call at kate middleton's hospital room, will be memorialized today. she was found hanging by a scarf. she left three apparent suicide notes. one of them criticized colleagues at the hospital for her treatment after the incident. also, singer jenni rivera has come home. mexican officials released the singer's remains to her family. and they flew her home on a charter's jet. rivera died sunday when her plane crashed into a mountainous area of mexico and nearly dissint rated.

two police officers are being arrested for stealing from the crash site and leaking photos to the media. a blockbuster move, the team has signed josh hamilton to a five-year deal worth 125 million bucks. hamilton, who played for the rangers last season, is considered one of the best players in the game. he joins a roster that also includes alberts -- and -- >> pitcher sank greinke. >> i don't follow baseball. >> albert pujols is one of the biggest names. two weeks after college football's regular season ended, the bowl season is about to kick off. 2 of the 35 bowl games tomorrow. 30 and up. >> some of the sports highlights from last night from espn. >> doug kezirian here with your "sportscenter" update. we start under the lights at madison square garden in

primetime. the lakers visiting the knicks. new york undefeated at home this season. 19-1, at home, under mike woodson. first quarter, knicks, blazing hot. especially carmelo anthony. knocking down his first three from distance. then, melo, taking it to the rock. jamming over jordan hill. knicks up nine. then, flowing past kobe bryant and anton jamison for the hoop and the horn. 22 in the first quarter. that's a career-high. first quarter, scary moment for melo. fouled hard by dwight howard. injured his ankle. listed day-to-day. he finished 10 of 15 from the field. closing minutes, raymond felton, the alley-oop to tyson chandler. knicks remain perfect at home. l.a. fall to 9-14. thursday night football. bengal, trying to remain in the playoff hunt, visiting philly. andy dalton, called his own

number. gets into the end zone. cincy trailed 13-10, at the break. but all-bengals in the second half. next philly possession, fumbles. gilberry recovers. 25 yards. the big fella scores a touchdown. five turnovers in the game for the eagles. bengals go on top, 24-13. later, dalton to a.j. green. his 11th receiving touchdown. bengals win 34-13. and are back in the playoff hunt. currently in that wild card position. but everything can change this sunday. speaking of change, zach greinke went to the dodgers. if josh hamilton was hoping to join him, not happening. up next, "the pulse." mick jagger, in the middle of some controversial, after the 12-12-12 concert. and some cougar pride. look at that. christmas college style. look at that. christmas college style. stay with us. with heartbeat.

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welcome back. it is time for "the pulse," stories you're going to be talking about today. and this friday morning, it is mick jagger, not what he's singing. but what he's actually saying. >> yeah. when the stones rocked the 12-12-12 sandy relief concert, jagger made a little joke that is stirring up big-time backlash, though. he said, quote, if it rains in london, you've got to come and help us, okay? well, fans around here who knew sandy was a whole lot more than rain are now taking to twitter to tell jagger. you assume in his mind it was a joke. but it didn't play well with that crowd, who is very much in the midst of the recovery. >> a bad joke. a tasteless joke. now, the musical part of

"the pulse." we start at the home of washington state university. ♪ >> the guy who put together that little christmas lights display works at the school. the music is the washington state cougars fight song. pretty good school pride there, considering they just finished a 3-9 football season. pride is not conditional. >> whatever cheers them up. and finally, a hanukkah tribute from the houston rockets. >> listen to their attempt at singing the traditional children's song, "i have a little dreidel." ♪ dreidel, dreidel i made out of clay ♪ ♪ and when it's dry and ready the dreidel i shall ♪ >> oh. >> ouch, guys. or maybe i should say oy vey. rough singing there, guys. stick the your day job. >> can i unlug my --

>> mercifully, that is over. >> shooting bricks, as well. at least they're not doing it on the basketball court. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll be back with extreme preparations for "the hobbit." back with extreme preparations for "the hobbit." stay with us, everybody. ous. one day george got an important letter. he's built a rocket ship to travel into space." google, how far is earth to the moon? the moon is 238,900 miles... "the great moment had come." 3, 2, 1... [ giggling ] a deep, throbbing, persistent ache. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves.

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coming up next, overnight two strong quakes hit off the southern california coast. firefighters return to the fremont metal plant. plus, ready for freezing temperatures and series of storms? >> we have frosty conditions this morning and the next couple of mornings, tracking light rain for today.

better chance for tomorrow and city. heavy rain from albuquerque to vegas. mountain snow in the four corners. and showers from san diego to seattle. and "the hobbit," one of the most anticipated movies of the years opens nationwide today. a lifelong fan built his own hobbit house in pennsylvania. it's 600 square feet. >> while not as elaborate, some fans waiting in california for today's premiere, have created a hobbit community of their very own. here's rob kabc in los angeles. >> reporter: the hobbit is the story about 1 wizard, 13 dwarves and a hobbit. the much-anticipated film version of the book winds its way through middle earth, on its way to theaters like this one, where hobbit fans are camping out. and in some cases, creeping out. but mostly just camping out. >> i got here last night at 8:40. it's interesting.

i have a group coming in later. >> reporter: and there's real dedication here, considering the weather. how long have you been out here? >> 24 hours, at least. >> reporter: how long has it been raining? >> 24 hours. >> i'm here for the movie. and i'm going to love it, no matter what. ♪ >> reporter: chris doughty and brian spent three months building this hobbit hole. coupled together for a couple hundred bucks and whatever they could scavenge from their parents home. they vow to live in it until the big premiere. >> if you're going to go through life with no passion, like that's not life. i mean, we're kind of nerdy. but we're so into this. >> we are superfans. grew out my beard all year for this movie. our loving mothers have contributed greatly to our costumes. they sewed it. >> reporter: "the hobbit" is one of three movies that will come from the j.r.r. tolkien book. that means two more premieres and two more opportunities to

camp out and dress up. fans here say they'll be back, rain or shine, because it's too hard to kick the hobbit. in redlands, rob hayes, abc news south, eyewitness news. >> dedicated moms. that is what's making news good friday morning, 4:30 a.m. on wet 14th of december. we got a week to go if you believe the mayan calendar. >> kristen: new this morning, two big quakes rattled the southern california coast. the first it was centered 136 miles southwest of catalina island. few seconds later a 6.1 quake